A gaming machine and method allow a player to play a game. The game has an associated set of game symbols. The game symbols in the set of game symbols are arranged in a predetermined order from lowest to highest. A display device is configured to display a plurality of symbol regions arranged in a grid. The controller is configured to randomly select an initial outcome of the game. The initial outcome of the game includes an initial game symbol associated with each of the symbol regions. The controller detects a triggering condition associated with the initial outcome of the game and responsively replaces the initial game symbol in at least one predetermined symbol region with a replacement symbol to establish a secondary outcome of the game. The replacement symbol is determined as a function of the initial symbol and the predetermined order of the game symbols.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A gaming machine configured to allow a player to play a game, the game having an associated set of game symbols, the game symbols in the set of game symbols being arranged in a predetermined order from a lowest value to a highest value, comprising: a display device configured to display a plurality of symbol regions, the symbol regions being arranged in a grid, the display device being further configured to display one of the plurality of game symbols in each of the symbol regions; and, a controller coupled to the display device and being configured to randomly select an initial game symbol associated with one of the symbol regions, the controller being further configured to detect a triggering condition and to responsively determine a ranking of the initial game symbol within the predetermined order of game symbols, determine an offset from the initial game symbol within the predetermined order of game symbols, and replace the initial game symbol with a replacement symbol the replacement symbol being determined as a function of the ranking of the initial game symbol within the predetermined order of the game symbols and the determined offset from the initial game symbol ranking, the controller, including a credit input device, allowing the player to make a wager and awarding the player an award as a function of the wager, an outcome and a paytable.
2. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the outcome is an initial outcome and the paytable is an initial paytable.
3. The gaming machine of claim 2 , the controller awarding a secondary award as a function of a secondary outcome and a secondary paytable.
4. The gaming machine of claim 2 , the, wherein the initial paytable and the secondary paytable are different.
5. The gaming machine of claim 1 , the controller awarding the player an award as a function of the wager, a secondary outcome and a secondary paytable.
6. The gaming machine of claim 1 , the controller displaying the initial outcome and a secondary outcome in the grid.
7. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the grid has a plurality of columns, each column having at least two symbol positions.
8. The gaming machine of claim 7 , wherein the at least two symbol positions of at least one of the columns form a single reel.
9. The gaming machine of claim 8 , wherein each of the at least two symbol positions of at least one other of the columns form an individual reel.
10. The gaming machine of claim 9 , the at least two symbol regions of any single reel are predetermined symbol regions in which the initial symbols are replaced with replacement symbols if the triggering condition is detected.
11. The gaming machine of claim 10 , wherein each replacement symbol is determined as a function of a set offset from the associated initial symbol in the predetermined order.
12. The gaming machine of claim 11 , wherein the each replacement symbol is higher in order than the initial symbol along the predetermined order.
13. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the triggering condition is the appearance of a predetermined symbol.
14. The gaming machine of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined symbol is one of the symbols in the set of game symbols and the triggering condition is the appearance of the predetermined symbol in an initial outcome of the game.
15. The gaming machine of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined symbol is a scatter symbol.
16. The gaming machine of claim 13 , wherein the each replacement symbol is determined as a function of an offset from the associated initial symbol in the predetermined order.
17. The gaming machine of claim 16 , wherein the offset is equal to the number of predetermined symbols.
18. The gaming machine of claim 16 , wherein the triggering condition occurs in a re-spin feature and the offset is equal to a number of re-spins remaining.
19. A method of providing a game to a player on a gaming machine having a display device and a controller, the game having an associated set of game symbols, the game symbols in the set of game symbols being arranged in a predetermined order from a lowest value to a highest value, the method including the steps of: the controller displaying on the display device a plurality of symbol regions, the symbol regions being arranged in a grid; the controller randomly selecting an initial game symbol associated with one of the symbol regions; the controller detecting a triggering condition and responsively determining a ranking of the initial game symbol within the predetermined order of game symbols, determining an offset from the initial game symbol within the predetermined order of game symbols, and replacing the initial game symbol with a replacement symbol, the replacement symbol being determined as a function of the ranking of the initial symbol within the predetermined order of the game symbols and the determined offset from the initial game symbol ranking; and, the controller, including a credit input device, allowing the player to make a wager and awarding the player a award as a function of the wager, an outcome, and an initial payment.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the outcome is an initial outcome and the paytable is an initial paytable.
21. The method of claim 20 , the controller awarding a secondary award as a function of a secondary outcome and a secondary paytable.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the initial paytable and the secondary paytable are different.
23. The method of claim 20 , the controller awarding the player an award as a function of the wager, a secondary outcome and a secondary paytable.
24. The method of claim 19 , the controller displaying the initial outcome and a secondary outcome in the grid.
25. The method of claim 19 , wherein the grid has a plurality of columns, each column having at least two symbol positions.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the at least two symbol positions of at least one of the columns form a single reel.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein each of the at least two symbol positions of at least one other of the columns form an individual reel.
28. The method of claim 27 , the at least two symbol regions of any single reel are predetermined symbol regions in which the initial symbols are replaced with replacement symbols if the triggering condition is detected.
29. The method of claim 28 , wherein each replacement symbol is determined as a function of a set offset from the associated initial symbol in the predetermined order.
30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the each replacement symbol is higher in order than the initial symbol along the predetermined order.
31. The method of claim 19 , wherein the triggering condition is the appearance of a predetermined symbol.
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the predetermined symbol is one of the symbols in the set of game symbols and the triggering condition is the appearance of the predetermined symbol in an initial outcome of the game.
33. The method of claim 31 , wherein the predetermined symbol is a scatter symbol.
34. The method of claim 31 , wherein the each replacement symbol is determined as a function of an offset from the associated initial symbol in the predetermined order.
35. The method of claim 34 , wherein the offset is equal to the number of predetermined symbols.
36. The method of claim 34 , wherein the triggering condition occurs in a re-spin feature and the offset is equal to a number of re-spins remaining.
37. The method of claim 19 wherein the triggering condition is a predetermined winning condition, a predetermined outcome or arrangement of symbols within the grid, an appearance of one or more or a predetermined number of scatter symbols, or any other triggering condition.
38. A non-transitory information recording medium on which a computer readable program is recorded that causes a computer to function as a gaming machine being configured to allow a player to play a game, the game having an associated set of game symbols, the game symbols in the set of game symbols being arranged in a predetermined order from a lowest value to a highest value, the program causing the computer to function as a: a controller coupled to a display device, the display device configured to display a plurality of symbol regions, the symbol regions being arranged in a grid, the display device being further configured to display one of the plurality of game symbols in each of the symbol regions, the controller being configured to randomly select an initial game symbol associated with one of the symbol regions, the controller being further configured to detect a triggering condition and to responsively determine a ranking of the initial game symbol within the predetermined order of game symbols, determine an offset from the initial game symbol within the predetermined order of game symbols, and replace the initial game symbol with a replacement, the replacement symbol being determined as a function of the ranking of the initial game symbol within the predetermined order of the game symbols and the determined offset from the initial game symbol ranking, the controller, including a credit input device, allowing the player to make a wager and awarding the player an award as a function of the wager, an outcome and a paytable.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
July 17, 2015
May 17, 2016
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.